'Tis the Season for Freshly Baked... OOH Ads!

Whether we looked forward to Santa Claus, enjoyed the gifts he brought us, or spent quality time with our family, the childhood memories we built about Christmas stay with us for life. It’s usually throughout the month of December that we embark on a journey back in time, thanks to the Xmas elements we see almost everywhere: From shopping centers to our houses, everything looks festive.

The Christmas decorations and the carols help but there’s one more thing that makes the experience be complete: The distinctive smell of Christmas! The scents of pine, oranges, or cinnamon are just a few of the fragrances that have the power to make happy memories about Christmas pop up into our minds. Oh, but let’s not forget about one of the most emblematic Xmas scents: The popular baked goods! And with Finnish coffee brand Paulig Juhla Mokka baking its own OOH ad, a walk through Helsinki’s streets enables Finns to — quite literally — feel Christmas in the air they breathe!

In a new, finger-licking move made with the help of SEK agency, part of Grey, the coffee brand infuses its ad with Christmassy scents, which Finns might even smell if it weren’t for the freezing temperatures in the country. But just for the sake of the campaign, let us all imagine that the busiest shopping street in Helsinki — where the brand placed its ad — isn’t subject to icy-cold weather.

Juhla Mokka’s ad, “the world’s very first baked outdoor ad” (and probably the sweetest one too) is inspired by the tradition of baking goods for the holiday season. One of the desserts that are simply irresistible during this time of the year is the yummy gingerbread. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that the brand pours its festive initiative on a foundation made of cake.

Being the central theme, the “humble” gingerbread is taken to the streets of the capital, where city-dwellers can feast their eyes (and nostrils, depending on the weather) on the hand-made OOH panel. Baked by Finn bakers, the ad is made of real gingerbread and is home to a delicious gingerbread village. At its center lies a sweet gingerbread house that can also be admired on the packaging of the brand.

“Juhla Mokka brand is the coffee of doers and we need to cherish its heritage hands-on in our advertising. This year we decided to take a challenge and make the most delicious ad of the season, quite literally,” says SEK’s Senior Creative, Adele Enersen.

The brand decided to bring coffee and gingerbread together for the “Season’s Sweetest Outdoor Ad” after it had noticed that there’s “an undeniable match” between the two. So, while Paulig Juhla Mokka pampers Finns’ taste buds and nostrils with a freshly baked ad this year, the 2020 festive season caught the brand knitting its own ad in an effort to bring a smile on people’s faces in times of pandemic. Now that we’ve seen how creative this brand can be, we can’t help but wonder: What will Juhla Mokka do next to surprise its audience?